


Chuunibyou demo Volleyball!!

by seidou



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Childhood Friends, Alternate Universe- Eighth Grade Syndrome, Basically Haikyuu and Chuunibyou, Fluff, Love Confessions, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-25
Updated: 2017-01-25
Packaged: 2018-09-19 21:43:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,511
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9461543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seidou/pseuds/seidou
Summary: “Kageyama remembered being rallied into Hinata’s shenanigans very early into Hinata moving in two houses down. Every day Hinata would come over unannounced, and talk about how great an anime he was watching was, or how cool a certain move or power was. Kageyama taught him about volleyball, something Hinata very easily got wound up in.It was around their second year of middle school together that Hinata started to do some...unusual things.”Kageyama has known Hinata since childhood, Hinata has eighth grade syndrome, and Kageyama learns the hard way that love can be shown in all sorts of ways.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I've been gone for literal ages I'm so sorry ( ͒˃̩̩⌂˂̩̩ ͒)
> 
> I had no motivation to finish anything until I found the first 100 words of this story on my computer! I finished this in like 2 days haha! 
> 
> This is basically just a crossover between "Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai" (which is an amazing anime that i recommend to literally everyone) and of course Haikyuu!! I don't think you need to know anything about Chuunibyou to get this fanfiction, but if you don't understand something by the end feel feel to comment any question!
> 
> Edit 9/4: Apparently I didn't know about spellcheck, cause there were a lot of just basic errors. I went through and fixed them. Thanks to everyone who left kudos, you mean the world!

When Kageyama and Hinata met, Hinata seemed normal. The ripe age of eight, Hinata had just lost his first tooth, Kageyama has just started volleyball.

Kageyama remembered being rallied into Hinata’s shenanigans very early into Hinata moving in two houses down. Every day Hinata would come over unannounced, and talk about how great an anime he was watching was, or how cool a certain move or power was. Kageyama taught him about volleyball, something Hinata very easily got wound up in.

It was around their second year of middle school together that Hinata started to do some...unusual things.

It started gradually, him telling Kageyama that he could talk to animals, and would one day be able to fly like a crow. Once he even said that he might be able to control the wind if his magical powers grew enough. Soon enough he began to speak to animals, like Kageyama’s cat, and flap his wings when they were walking to “power up the mana”.

Come their last year of middle school, it got a whole lot worse. He started going on about birds, especially crows, and introduced himself to their new class as “The Crow King”. He began to talk in weird tongues, saying the words would become clear to the birds when they were picked up by the wind.

Kageyama never minded exactly, he always just saw it as something Hinata enjoyed. Hinata enjoyed talking to birds and collecting rocks. It was just something he wanted to do, who was Kageyama to complain? Kageyama passes the last of their middle school days with the nagging thought that they've got to start high school soon.

~~~

Hinata and Kageyama both equally loved volleyball. To them their volleyball team was the one place they belonged. No one made fun of Hinata in their volleyball team, and no one made Kageyama mad for making fun of Hinata. Their freak quick had been the talk of the middle school volleyball league since Kageyama and Hinata had first bust it out their second year.

So when deciding on a high school to go to, it was obvious to everyone that they needed to have a good volleyball team.

“Karasuno.” Hinata had shoved the flyer in front of Kageyama at school one day, he was practically bouncing up and down.

“Don’t they have a really shit volleyball team?” Kageyama picked up the pamphlet, turning it to the page about all of their clubs. Volleyball was thrown on the general list, obviously because there was no achievements to be had from them. “I mean, the Little Giant played there but you're way more talked about now than he ever was.”

“Yes, but my sensors indicate that they have a very commendable mascot.” Hinata flipped the pamphlet to the front again, and pointed to the school logo, a large crow with “Karasuno” written in bold lettering over it.

“Oh so you like the crow?” Kageyama looked over to Hinata who was nodding his head so fast Kageyama was scared it might pop off. “Alright I guess.”

 ~~~

Kageyama was scared, very genuinely terrified, as he lie in bed the night before thier entrance ceremony.

Hinata was fast asleep on the floor-they always slept over on the last night of their winter vacation-and Kageyama looked down at him with worried eyes. How would Hinata handle high school? The new volleyball team? Hinata hadn’t outgrown his weird habits over the last couple of months. It hadn't got worse-thank god- just not any better.

Their volleyball team shouldn't be much of an issue, most people that had a problem with his habits in middle school had dropped it after Hinata proved himself on the court, but there still could be an asshole or two that didn't care about that.

As much as Kageyama really didn't like being the center of attention or showing emotions, he did care a lot about Hinata, maybe a little too much to be considered healthy.

Kageyama was sure he cared a lot about Hinata, and he was positive Hinata cared a lot about him in return, but Kageyama was more than a little abrasive about people making fun of Hinata. He didn't deserve any harsh treatment for the enjoyment he got out of his “odd” behavior.

Kageyama looked down at Hinata, drooling and snoring slightly, and vowed that no asshole would make Hinata feel bad.

~~~

Unfortunately, assholes seem to be everywhere, including their new volleyball team.

The captain was nice, a little fatherly, and the vice captain was basically an angel. The bald guy was kinda loud, but instantly took a liking to Hinata. When Kageyama met them he assumed their time on the Karasuno Volleyball Team would be at least a little bit enjoyable.

That all ended when Tsukishima Kei walked in.

Something about Tsukishima instantly put Kageyama on edge, he felt the eyes on him almost immediately, searching out something to say.

“Ah, it's the freak duo.” Is all he said, Hinata almost instantly opened his big mouth to try and fight, but Kageyama grabbed his shoulder. The last thing they needed was for Tsukishima to make fun of Hinata, Kageyama really didn't need a murder charge dropped on his head.

The four new club members were allowed to introduce themselves, Hinata insisted on going first.

“Greetings! I'm Hinata Shouyou, I find solace in the aura this gym gives off. I hope to have fun with you all.” Hinata beamed at his small crowd, Tanaka burst out laughing, shouting “this guy is awesome!” Kageyama found himself breathing a lot easier.

Kageyama introduced himself rather briefly, adding the school him and Hinata were from, before Tsukishima introduced himself to everyone in a rather normal way. There wasn't a biting public comment made, Kageyama breathed a sigh of relief.

Really, it was a calm before the storm.

“Kageyama! Permission for extra practice.” Hinata came up behind Kageyama after practice, like usual. It was routine to practice after practice for them, so routine Kageyama wonders why Hinata still asks.

“Permission granted, change out of your dirty clothes first though.” Kageyama turns around and takes a swig of his water bottle, Hinata’s eyes light up.

“Roger, Supreme Council Leader Tobio.” Hinata salutes him, before scampering off to the locker room. Kageyama salutes his retreating frame. He hears the snicker from behind not even seconds after Hinata is out of earshot.

“What does that even mean? Some sort of fetish thing?” Kageyama turns around to find Tsukishima smirking at him, Yamaguchi trying to keep his composure.

“Don't degrade Hinata to your sick fantasies about your teammates.” Kageyama takes his water bottle and turns, ignoring any other quips Tsukishima would have thrown behind his back. He can do this, he's dealt with bigger assholes than this guy. Protecting Hinata is what he does best.

Extra practice lasts all of two tosses before Tsukishima waltzes over to their practice area on the baseball field.

“If it isn't the freak duo,” Tsukishima walks over to Hinata and plucks the ball out of his hands “does this field have a good aura?”

Hinata stares like a deer in headlights, unsure how to proceed. Usually in any other situation, Hinata would challenge someone to a duel, with a huge spectacle made out of someone's bullshit statement. Kageyama had tried to diminish those over the last few years, but sometimes Hinata goes unsupervised. Now however, Hinata looks genuinely terrified of Tsukishima, he's shaking a little bit.

Kageyama knows that pushing Hinata’s buttons is not something you want to do, he will either cry or try and actually fight you, and neither of those outcomes will work with Tsukishima.

“Do tell, I know me and Yamaguchi are dying to know.” Tsukishima mocks, spinning the ball around in his hands. Kageyama begins to walk over to them.

Hinata knows that the things he says can be perceived as odd or childish, Hinata knows that more than anybody. It makes Hinata happy, doing the things he does. Kageyama is two seconds from ripping Tsukishima’s head off, when Hinata speaks up.

“The aura here has gotten increasingly sour, as you continue to be here.” Hinata is visibly shaking as he says it, his eyes are glossy with unshed tears, and Kageyama has never been prouder.

Kageyama walks over to them with a smug grin on his face, as he plucks the ball from Tsukishima's hands and grabs their bags.

“We'll be going somewhere with a more accommodating aura.” Kageyama guides Hinata with a firm but gentle hand on his back.

Kageyama rubs circles on Hinata's back, nods at Hinata when Tsukishima and Yamaguchi are out of earshot, and listens to his best friend's muffled sobs all the way home.

~~~

 The days at Karasuno seem to get much better after that.

It's been about three weeks since joining the volleyball team, and they've been training hard like usual. More teammates from the past have come back, the libero has taking a huge liking to Hinata and has even “dueled” with him a couple times during lunch.

It's during lunch, after Noya has brought Hinata to yet another defeat (mostly by claiming that he's the strongest libero in the school so that means he has additional power ups), that Noya talks to Kageyama for the first time.

“Your friend is awesome!” Noya beams, making Kageyama swell with pride.

With Hinata's guidance, Kageyama has become much more sociable and much more of a team player. He doesn't even want to imagine what could have become of him if he hadn't met Hinata at such a young age.

Still, Kageyama is just naturally not a people person. It's always taken a large push by Hinata to make him talk or befriend anyone, but hearing Noya say that about Hinata makes Kageyama think that maybe he can trust him.

“He tries.” Kageyama sips his milk, looking at the cafeteria he bread he will not be eating. Hinata always gets him some, Kageyama always accepts even if he hates the taste.

“What does he mean when he calls you that name?” Noya looks at Kageyama very seriously all of a sudden, Kageyama raises an eyebrow.

“What? You mean Supreme Council Leader?” Kageyama looks at Hinata, he's scampering off to a tree.

“Yeah, but mostly I was wondering what the council was.” Noya leans back on his hands, looking up at the blue sky.

“He calls me Supreme Council Leader because he looks up to me with volleyball. When we were kids I told him volleyball was an elite club, and that the strongest players got to run the council.” Kageyama takes a long sip of his milk, Noya nudges him to get more of the story.

“So when he started giving people on our middle school team titles based on how good he thought they were, that was the title I got.” Kageyama shrugs his shoulders, looking at Hinata trying to communicate with a sparrow.

“He really looks up to you, huh?” Noya laughs a little, Kageyama doesn't think it's very funny but he's gotten way worse reactions to the topic of Hinata's quirks.

Hinata suddenly shrieks, Kageyama immediately whipping his head around to see Hinata running over to him.

“What did you-” Kageyama can't even finish his sentence before Hinata pounces on him, latching onto the front of his school shirt before pointing to Yamaguchi rounding the corner.

“He's not gonna challenge you, don't worry. If anything he's Tsukishima’s servant. Nothing to be afraid of.” Kageyama unlatches Hinata off of him, setting him down between him and Nishinoya.

“Yeah, that petty familiar can never beat my crow children.” Hinata flaps his arms a little, Noya looks puzzled and Kageyama gives him a pleading look.

“Don't worry Hinata, battling the weak enemies won't do anything for your name.” Kageyama pushes aside the cafeteria bread in favor of the lunch Hinata's mother makes the two of them.

“I must acquire his mana, using these magic stones.” Hinata pulls out various colored rocks out of his pockets. Noya gives him a puzzled look before Hinata clarifies, “these crystals will allow me the power of Leech Life, allowing me to zap his powers from under his nose.”

“Isn't Leech Life a Pokémon move?” Hinata jumps about ten feet in the air when Yamaguchi’s voice comes from in front of him. He looks up, clearly terrified even if Yamaguchi himself holds no threat.

“Na-no!” Hinata jumps to his feet, holding a rock between each finger. “I will defeat you and steal your magic powers!”

Before Yamaguchi even has time to react, Hinata is jumping around him, onomatopoeias shooting from his mouth with each hop and leap.

“GWAH!” Hinata makes one particularly hard jump, scattering dirt around Yamaguchi’s feet. At the commotion a couple of birds fly off from under a nearby tree.

“Yamaguchi I must warn you, my crow children have dispersed into the night! They will attack your master by dawn, you must surrender your magical energy to me or have your master face the consequences!” Hinata threatens, pointing his free hand at the tree.

Suddenly Yamaguchi falls to the ground on his knees, coughing. Kageyama almost gets up to help him before something surprising comes out of Yamaguchi’s mouth.

“You win, oh great Crow King! I have perished in battle to you, oh however will my master forgive me!?” Yamaguchi nearly shouts, drawing attention from a few girls that had been rounding the corner, they leave immediately.

Hinata gives an almost gaudy laugh, before shaking the hand with the rocks in it. “Your magical energy has been transferred to me! May you die knowing you've served your master well.”

Hinata pockets the rocks, skipping over to Kageyama and telling him what just happened with a barrage of explosive sounds and hand gestures. All Kageyama can do however is watch Yamaguchi get off the ground and wipe the dirt off his slacks.

“Kageyama! You must now reward my conquests with cafeteria bread!” Hinata exclaims, making grabby hands for Kageyama's wallet. Kageyama hands him the money wordlessly, still in a mild state of shock.

As Hinata skips off to the cafeteria, Kageyama watches Yamaguchi sit beside him on the grass part of the hill, and take out his lunch.

“Where's Tsukishima?” Noya asks, Yamaguchi looks over with an almost sad face.

“Getting a confession. Couldn't be there for that.” Yamaguchi pops some rice in his mouth.

“Woah does he get those often!?” Noya almost drapes himself across Kageyama's legs to get closer to Yamaguchi, who shrugs and says “about every day, I guess”.

“Why did you play along?” Kageyama's voice is barely a whisper, but both the other males look at him.

In all the years of being Hinata’s best friend, everyone else has always simply tolerated his behavior. No one had actively played along like Noya and Yamaguchi. Kageyama found himself close to tears as he looked at Yamaguchi's confused expression.

“Don't worry about it, Tsukki use to want to do that with me all the time.” Yamaguchi shrugs and pops an octopus weenie in his mouth.

“Tsukishima did that!?” Noya props himself up on Kageyama's legs, leaning in closer to Yamaguchi's personal space.

“Yeah, Tsukki had eighth grade syndrome bad, for a solid year and a half. He forced himself to stop liking it before we entered high school.” Yamaguchi tells the story like it's boring, but even Kageyama finds himself leaning in a little to listen.

“Tsukki thought he could summon weapons, like he would be able to magically open some portal that would give him a weapon to fight with.” Yamaguchi eyes his lunch with concentration, trying to decide what to eat next.

“That's actually a really cool power! I should run that by Tanaka!” Noya exclaims, obviously way too into this. “Hinata's been kicking his ass lately, he always breaks out a sick combo that Tanaka can't counter. I bet if he developed that power he'd kick even _my_ ass.” Noya explains, readjusting his elbows in Kageyama's thigh.

“How?” Kageyama questions, enthralled by the fact that Hinata is kicking someone's ass in his duels. He usually sticks to the same combos and attacks all the time, and believes anyone when they say their move beat his. He's kind of an idiot.

“Tanaka wouldn't be very humble about winning though, I don't think letting him win would be the best idea.” Yamaguchi pipes in, Kageyama knows that Hinata would most likely not care whether Tanaka bragged about him winning. Hinata would most likely take it as a challenge anyways.

“Naw man, Tanaka would let his kouhai win every once in awhile. Gotta boost their ego before you crush it with your superior offense tactics.” Noya makes a crushing hand motion, Yamaguchi stifles a laugh.

“At least he had the decency to reassure me after defeat. Tsukki was such a show off when he won, always bragging about it until I was forced to research ‘cool anime fights’ and copy the winning moves.”

“He's quite a noble man.” Noya gets off Kageyama to cross his arms and nod his head.

As they talk about Hinata and power ups and moves they can use, Kageyama realizes something; they accept Hinata. Kageyama's thought hits him like a bus, Yamaguchi and Noya have now fully accepted Hinata for all his quirks and flaws.

And when Hinata gets back, they all spend the rest of lunch talking about combos, Pokémon, and how much Tanaka sucks at duels.

~~~

The night the team lost Inter High was the worst Hinata had felt since the day he had met Tsukishima.

Hinata was visibly upset by the lose, no one on their team was really ok with losing, but Hinata seems to have a habit of being very reclusive after a bad experience. After all, he has lived basically his entire life honing the quick attack with Kageyama, becoming an unbeatable duo that would stomp any opponent. They were used to carrying their team, and when they can't Hinata likes to blame himself.

When the bus stops, Kageyama gently shakes Hinata awake from his shoulder, gets their bags, and the two walk home in silence. Hinata's face is covered in snot and tears, and more continue to roll down his face only to be wiped off by either Hinata's jacket sleeve or Kageyama's tissues. Kageyama didn't dare press the issue, instead leading the two to his house and inviting Hinata inside.

After two movies that were randomly picked from Kageyama's small collection, Hinata unwound himself from Kageyama's frame before going to the small collection of crystals in Kageyama's bedside table.

“These will restore our happiness with a small sacrifice of a demonic life.” Hinata looks up from his meticulous sorting of the assorted crystals, waiting for Kageyama's move.

Kageyama picks up a blue crystal with a jagged edge, chants whatever he can come up with on the spot, and reaches the crystal up towards the moon. “May the Grand Demon King perish, to restore happiness to our people.”

Hinata does the same, except his chant is always the same, a simple prayer he's made up and somehow remembered over the years. He takes a circular red crystal and holds it up between the pouring moonlight and the blue crystal, as tears stream down his face Hinata repeats, “May that damned Grand Demon King perish, may that restore the happiness to our people.”

~~~

Meeting Bokuto Koutarou was probably the happiest day of Hinata's teenage experience. As far as Kageyama could tell.

Kageyama prefers to spend training camps alone, honing his skills with coaches or Hinata by themselves rather than do extra practice with three on three’s. However Hinata, always the adventurous and outgoing one of the two, loved to meet new people.

When he shoehorned his way into some practice a couple third years were having, Kageyama couldn't find it in himself to care. It wasn't like he cared about these people Hinata was meeting, not unless they made fun of Hinata or did something wrong to him.

Kenma from Nekoma was an amazing setter, who didn't really like Kageyama (which was probably to be expected), and has never said anything bad about Hinata. So he gets a pass in Kageyama's book.

The thing with Bokuto was that Hinata seemed to admire him, to talk about him nearly any time he isn't around him. The amount of times Kageyama has heard about Bokuto is getting ridiculous, so Kageyama must investigate.

Hinata easily lets him tag along one night, with the condition Kageyama does not “gather intel on superior spiking techniques”, Kageyama easily agrees.

Hinata introduces Kageyama by his name, or at least Supreme Council Leader Tobio, and Bokuto readily invites him to watch. Making the same ludicrous statement about how he better not try and spike as good as Bokuto, Kageyama sees the other setter rolls his eyes.

Kageyama declines to join any matches, but he watched Bokuto and Hinata's relationship closely. Monitoring for any snide remarks that may not get through to Hinata; because if Hinata likes someone, every bad joke and snide remark will go right over his head. Kageyama knows from experience.

Bokuto doesn't seem to be very opposed to anything Hinata does, he seems to find it cute, and not in a very condescending manner. The only red flag is the constant need for attention and praise, which Hinata readily gives him. Bokuto even has a nickname for Hinata, Shrimpy, which makes Hinata go on a tangent about how shrimp are very hard to communicate with.

Hinata learns a lot from Bokuto, which Kageyama is grateful for, making Hinata better at volleyball means less work for Kageyama, and it makes Hinata happy. Kageyama likes both of those things.

By the time they all pack up and go to bathe, Hinata is buzzing with adrenaline and happiness, very pleased with his performance.

“I'll be one of the strongest Council Members soon enough! Don't you think, Supreme Council Leader?” Hinata looks at Kageyama, hopeful that Kageyama will praise him.

“Of course, as long as we're on a court together you'll be strong.” Kageyama says what he always said, and Hinata beams the same way every time.

Kageyama turns over in his futon that night, mind wandering to how Hinata feels about him. He looks at Hinata, upturned nose and chapped lips, and wonders if Hinata likes him as much as he likes Bokuto. He has to, right? There's now way Kageyama could get beat out by a guy Hinata met three days ago, years of friendship can't be beat by someone who just happens to be the ace of a powerhouse school.

Kageyama loves Hinata, like a brother almost. There's a hint of underlying _something_ he feels squirming around beneath the surface of that love. Kageyama has never been able to grasp emotional concepts very well, so he's been choosing to ignore it. It feels about ready to burst at that moment, like the system he uses to repress emotions, just to keep Hinata safe, may fail him.

Kageyama turns around to look at Daichi’s back, and wonders if loving someone who doesn't seem to treat mature emotions with dignity is really a good choice. Kageyama thinks that maybe he's loved Hinata for longer than just these last couple of minutes, which would be a bigger problem.

He turns back to look at Hinata, who has turned around, and contemplates if he's really keeping Hinata safe by keeping him from mature emotions and responsibilities. He's been letting Hinata live in his own world, and not accept things that others would see as things he should already know by now. Kageyama doesn't know if Hinata would even know how to feel if Kageyama confessed. He would probably be confused, blissfully unaware of the implications a confession would hold.

Kageyama turns back to Daichi’s back, grumbling and confused on how to proceed. He's quickly taken out of this train of thought when Hinata's cold feet find their way up Kageyama's shirt.

~~~

It's the first regular practice back from the training camp, and Hinata seems to be on edge. Kageyama could sense distress from Hinata in his sleep, but something about this kind of nervousness was different then right before a match or a big test. This was almost akin to fear.

Kageyama never really understood how Hinata could wear his emotions on his sleeve with such ease, Kageyama could barely admit to himself he was upset, much less anyone else. But Hinata just isn't like him, and Kageyama has sort of learned to accept that.

“Yo, dumbass.” Kageyama flicks the back of Hinata's head to get his attention away from trying to talk to a stag beetle.

Hinata looks a little over his shoulder at Kageyama, before quickly turning back around. He's pouting. Kageyama sighs, looking around at the other club members milling about after their mountain run. Most are trying to catch their breath, except Tanaka and Nishinoya seem to be playing leap frog. Kageyama turns back around to poke at Hinata's head.

“Stop messing with my force fields,” Hinata turns to look at Kageyama “you'd think someone so high on the Supreme Council would understand I'm trying to keep demons out.”

“Well I'm not a demon, so let me in.” Kageyama jabs at Hinata's head again, Hinata swats at his hand.

“I'll allow you entrance into the uninhabitable zone, _if_ you can prove you're the real Kageyama. Not a demon possessed version of him.” Hinata turns half his body around to face Kageyama, looking at him with the same persistence always used with a challenge of any kind.

“What's the question?” Kageyama squats down in front of Hinata, sporting the same determined expression.

“What's YamaYama’s birthday?” Hinata asks with determination, Kageyama scowls.

“That's not a good question,” Kageyama shakes his head “if I was possessed the demon would have access to basic information and memories.”

“What's the date we met!?” Hinata's face goes red with frustration, Kageyama represses a laugh.

“Not even a demon possessed me would know that!” He says with no real bite, he's kind of laughing his ass off, on the inside of course.

“How long is your left pinky toe?” Hinata's face is positively scorching, becoming frustrated.

“Don't you think these are trick questions? These all seem too specific for a human to know off the top of their head, but a demon would say the answer to gain trust.” Kageyama takes a stick off the ground and pokes at the stag beetle Hinata had just been investigating.

“I suppose you're right,” Hinata says after a long pause. “Ok, here's a question only the really real Kageyama would know.”

“Hit me.”

“Who's Kageyama's best friend in the entire world?” Hinata smiles broad and hoping, Kageyama can't help but find it cute.

“I'd have to say my cat, but I guess Hinata Shouyou comes a close second.” Hinata stabs at his arm with a stick, until they get in an all out stick throwing war, and are told by Daichi to go run more laps. The dismay from earlier quickly overshadowed by who can run the fastest up the big hill on the other side of the school.

~~~

Hinata offering homework help is about the same as an eggplant offering to do your taxes. The result will always be nothing of value.

Hinata is perched at his desk, sitting on his feet like always because he refuses to just push the chair up. Hinata and his over sensitivity to his height will never not be funny to Kageyama.

Kageyama watches as Hinata struggles through math, trying to make a graph for his class.

“How hard can making a turtle out of chart points be?” Kageyama asks from Hinata's tiny bed.

“Shhhh Kageyama! I'm working!” Hinata insists he's been working on the damn turtle graph for forty-five minutes, so Kageyama isn't fully buying that. Kageyama gets up to investigate.

“Let me see the-” Kageyama stops in his tracks when he see exactly what Hinata has been drawing on his graph paper.

“You can't draw pentagrams on your homework, dumbass!” Kageyama rips the paper from the desk, looking in horror at the very detailed pentagram with elaborate designs in a fourth of the outside circle.

“It's not just a pentagram! If I hadn't been so _rudely_ interrupted I would have completed the Aquarium Magical Circle.” Hinata pouts in his chair, slinging his feet down to kick them around.

“What would a magical circle do for your situation? Make this paper not have a demonic symbol on it?” Kageyama places the paper on his books, this way Hinata can at least say he lost his homework.

“No?” Hinata says this like Kageyama is the delusional one. “It would help me summon a real turtle! How cool would that be!? Bringing in a _real life_ turtle instead of a stupid plot point one?”

“The result would still be the same, you'd still fail the homework assignment.”

~~~ 

“Hinata?”

“Yeah?”

“How'd you get so good at drawing magic circles?”

“Practice in the dark arts.”

~~~

Kageyama should've know it would a toxic day, right when he woke up he'd felt something off.

He picked Hinata up at his house, accepting the granola bar from Hinata's mother, and walked with Hinata to school.

Hinata was relatively upbeat the entire walk to school, talking about how he'd found some cool internet articles the night before. Kageyama said he had read the links Hinata sent, Hinata shakes his head and says he had found more after Kageyama was already asleep.

The standard morning routine.

He should have know however, that if Tsukishima gets involved there will be a problem.

Yamaguchi had taken a liking to sitting with Noya, Hinata, Kageyama, and Tanaka on the grassy hill by the gym. Yamaguchi would more often than not sit with them and he would talk about things that weren't Tsukishima. Shocker, Kageyama knows.

For some reason Yamaguchi has a lot more confidence recently, something Hinata is very happy to see. Tsukishima seems to treat his best friend better as well, but that doesn't mean everyone gets the same treatment.

The second Tsukishima comes with Yamaguchi, he seems to be giving Hinata disgusted looks. Especially when he talks about his new crystals, he really likes the orange and purple, Tsukishima can't seem to let go of his spite towards Hinata's hobbies.

“This one restores mana! So when I'm low on it during a fight, I can hold it real tight and my mana restoration goes up by almost three times the regular amount. It'll be really helpful to cast some higher level spells that my mana bank isn't big enough for yet, but I-”

“You know that's not real, right?” Tsukishima raises his voice, staring daggers into Hinata's hand, like the fake rocks have somehow offended him.

“What could you mean?” Hinata looks like a train had just hit him, bewildered and frightened.

“I mean that all that shit you talk about isn't real, and it will never _be_ real. So just stop trying.” Tanaka and Nishinoya begin to slink out, abandoning ship at the first signs of damage.

“Oh yeah....well I'll....” Hinata looks at Kageyama for backup, Kageyama can provide none. “I'll prove it!”

Hinata begins his transformation routine, taking his school jacket off to reveal a bird in his wrist that he bites with his teeth. He gets in a fighting stance, and begins to jump around Tsukishima’s sitting form.

Tsukishima rolls his eyes, looking bored with the situation. Hinata begins to call upon his three bird familiars-Flax, Lastur, and Cynthia-and begins to move his hands in elaborate ways to seemingly command the birds into flight, to be prepared to attack.

“Lastur! Eagle of Fire, I summon the spell Chain Fire Break!” With the dramatic wave of an arm, Hinata bring Lastur up and then to attack Tsukishima. When Tsukishima simply cringes at his choice of name, Hinata wails in a dramatic fanfare.

“You are a formidable opponent. What I've heard about the Legendary Gate Keeper must be true!” Hinata exclaims, and with that something in Tsukishima seems to snap. 

First looking at Yamaguchi, who is the only other  spectator to not have left, he's shooting daggers so strong Yamaguchi grimaces like he's been hurt. Tsukishima rises to his feet, and Kageyama almost forgets how tall Tsukishima is sometimes, now is not one of those times.

“You've seem to arisen, but can you handle Cynthia's crystal magic?” Hinata begins to summon Cynthia, but cannot complete the spell.

Tsukishima says nothing, just rolls his eyes and pushes on Hinata's head. Just hard enough for him to fall flat on his ass.

“Look shrimp, none of that shit exists. Get the fuck over it and grow up.” Tsukishima directs this as Hinata, looking at him from his towering position.

“And you,” Tsukishima turns to Kageyama, who has remained speechless almost the entire time, “you need to stop babying him and let him grown up without you. He's gonna need that.”

The following face of pure betrayal and sadness on Hinata's face has Kageyama's heart aching, Kageyama doesn't seem to know how to breath. He watches as Tsukishima walks away, calling for Yamaguchi, mumbling about how stupid Hinata is.

Kageyama finds his legs again, runs the two steps over to Hinata and kneels down beside him. Putting on hand on Hinata's back and taking one hand in his, he helps him to his feet. Hinata instantly tugs Kageyama closer, grasping at his school jacket. Kageyama can hear the muffled sobs and feel the shaking shoulders.

“You're not ga-gonna,” Hinata sobs through ugly tears “you're not gonna leave me, right Kageyama?”

“Why would I, dumbass?” Kageyama has no bite, only loving strokes of Hinata's wild orange hair. Hinata grips his jacket tighter.

“Cause I'm stupid and childish and I ca-can't do anything without sounding weird and I-” Hinata sobs his way through his self deprecation, draining into unintelligible mumbles.

In any other situation Kageyama would be able to cheer Hinata up using his eighth grade syndrome as a tool, now it would only serve as a weapon. So Kageyama does the only thing he can do, hold Hinata tight and rub his back, standing in the deserted part of their school yard for the rest of lunch period.

~~~

It's when Hinata refuses to go to school that Kageyama gets worried. Hinata has always loved going to school, seeing people and playing volleyball before and after seemed like fair enough trade to him, only when something is very wrong does Hinata ever try and skip.

“C’mon dumbass, rise and shine.” Kageyama pulls at Hinata’s curtains, flooding the room in barely there morning light. Hinata moans and grumbles from under his cocoon of blankets.

“You have to go to school Hinata,” Kageyama hutches down beside the bed, and a tuft of orange bed head pops out of the covers. “The only way to defeat a high level mage is to?”

“Become a higher level mage.” Hinata says and he pulls himself up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Kageyama ruffles his bed head, and pulls him out of bed.

~~~

Hinata is angry with Tsukishima, everyone can tell at morning practice. Tsukishima turns on his “I don't care” attitude and avoids any interaction with him, Yamaguchi and Kageyama are forced to watch their friends be petty.

Coach Ukai calls for a three on three, Hinata seems to be very excited to show off their new quick attack with the team as a whole. But when Tsukishima is placed in their rotation on the opposite team, Hinata takes it as a personal challenge.

All of his spikes seem to mysteriously be aimed at Tsukishima’s face, until Tsukishima actually goes to block one and Hinata smashed the ball with such force the resounding smack echos throughout the gym.

Tsukishima stumbles back, tripping on his own feet until Suga takes his arm. Tsukishima begins to stare daggers at Hinata, before turning to Ukai and announcing he'll be taking a walk.

As Tsukishima leaves the gym, Kageyama looks at Hinata’s face go from one of pride to one of regret. Kageyama knows he didn't want that reaction, he just wanted to beat Tsukishima at volleyball. When Ukai calls a water break and takes Kageyama aside, Kageyama can't say he's all that surprised.

“You need to talk to Tsukishima, we have Inter Highs soon and I can't have in fighting.” Ukai looks stern and serious, Kageyama just nods his head.

~~~ 

“What are you doing here?” Is the first thing Tsukishima says when Kageyama finds him on the club room steps, Kageyama feels his eye twitch.

“I'm gonna tell you to stop fighting with Hinata.” Kageyama crosses his arms, looking at Tsukishima sitting on the stairs.

“Shrimp has a serious problem, it gets on my nerves.” Tsukishima shrugs his shoulders, picking at his fingernails.

“Look, Hinata’s interests and the way he does things have nothing to do with volleyball. So why do you care?” Kageyama notices a beetle crawling by Tsukishima’s foot.

“Always a volleyball idiot I see.” Tsukishima rolls his eyes and Kageyama scoffs.

“Hinata likes that stuff, what's the big deal?” Kageyama bends down to pick up the bug, it flies out of his hand a second later.

“It's so childish, it aggravates me that he's so adamant about keeping up his little fantasy world. He needs to grow up.” Tsukishima looks away, at the tree that's visible from their spot. If you were to turn the corner of the gym, the small hill would be right there.

“As far as I know...you did that stuff as well?” Kageyama's accusation comes out more like a question, considering he'd heard it from Yamaguchi months ago and never gave it much thought. By the way Tsukishima's face glows like a Christmas tree, Kageyama can assume he's right.

“It's called ‘eighth grade syndrome’ for a reason.” Tsukishima looks the most disheveled Kageyama has ever seen him off a volleyball court. “You're supposed to grow out of it by high school.”

“Hinata finds comfort in that, he knows he'll have to grow up eventually.” Kageyama leans on the railing beside where Tsukishima is sitting. “Why be mature and stuck up when you're a teenager?”

Tsukishima abruptly gets up, and saunters back around the corner and presumably into the gym. Kageyama trails behind, entering the gym to find Tsukishima glued to Yamaguchi’s side.

~~~

 Hinata bounds up to Kageyama not even two seconds after the whistle is blown, jumping into his sweaty arms and latching his legs around Kageyama's waist.

“What are you doing?” Kageyama looks at Hinata’s head resting on his shoulder, prays his face was already red before Hinata showed public displays of affection.

“Permission to state my case?” Hinata hops off of Kageyama's torso, but keeps his hands on Kageyama's shoulders. No one seems to really care about them, Daichi calls for Kageyama to lock up if they're staying after.

“As you were.” Kageyama raises an eyebrow at Hinata’s word choice, usually only using those words when he wants Kageyama to do something for him.

“I would like to give Supreme Council Leader Tobio my greatest thanks.” Hinata’s smile is encased by the afternoon sun, oozing from the skylights overhead.

“And what would that thanks be for?” Kageyama hands find their way onto the top of Hinata’s hair. It's damp and sweaty, but Kageyama runs his fingers through anyways.

“For battling Legendary GateKeeper in my honor!” Hinata unlatches himself from Kageyama's shoulders to give him a bear hug.

“Did he apologize?” Kageyama rubs circles on Hinata's back, looking down at the unruly orange hair.

“His familiar came in his name.” Hinata mumbles into Kageyama's dirty practice shirt.

“That's good.” Kageyama rests his head on Hinata's, looking through the open gym door to see the wind blow the bushes.

“Kageyama, you're the best.” Hinata pulls back, looking at Kageyama with an undetectable emotion in his eyes. Kageyama's knees grow weak.

“As the Supreme Council Leader, it's my duty to protect and serve those under my rank.” Kageyama does a salute, Hinata giggles.

“Thank you Supreme Council Leader Tobio.”

~~~ 

Kageyama has never had a problem with how he felt for Hinata, it's never been a bad emotion so there was never a need to feel distressed about it. Kageyama is quickly realizing even the best emotions have downsides.

Kageyama sits on the gym wall, tossing a volleyball between his hands as Hinata practices receives with Noya. Noya has been going at it for a solid couple hours, and is starting to show signs of slowing down. Hinata however seems even more energetic than when they started, but Noya is never one to back down.

Kageyama files his nails, before checking his phone to see that it's well past dinner time for both his and Hinata’s families.

“Hinata! We gotta go!” Kageyama begins packing away balls and other things while Noya and Hinata exchange their goodbyes.

“Can we have Cthulhu’s Meal?” Hinata’s eyes shine, and how can Kageyama say no?

“Cthulhu’s Meal” is what Hinata has affectionately named ramen, because the noodles remind him of tentacles. Hinata has a favorite ramen shop and refuses to go anywhere else, so Kageyama and him take a seat at a low table and make their orders.

Hinata babbles on about how his receives are becoming Supreme Council level, Kageyama says maybe with more practice.

When their food arrives and has been thanked, Kageyama has to avert his eyes, Hinata always eats the ramen in the wrong order. Always the meat and egg first, then the noodles. Everyone knows you eat the noodles first.

“You should really eat the noodles first.” Kageyama says after he finishes his, Hinata has just started on his.

Once he's done slurping, Hinata sets the bowl down and gives the same explanation as every other time, “you wouldn't eat Cthulhu's tentacles first would you? All the experts know the power lies in the brain of the beast.”

“By wouldn't the tentacles be better in taste?” Kageyama drinks some of his tea, Hinata fervently shakes his head.

“You don't eat a mighty beast just to enjoy the taste! You slay and eat the beast to absorb it's magical power! That's how you get the most out of countering great magical creatures.” Hinata begins sipping his broth, Kageyama finishes up and asks for the check. 

~~~

Hinata swings Kageyama's hand by his side as they walk home, holding hands was very common in their first years of friendship, as they got older they faded out of the habit. Kageyama worries that maybe Hinata is repressing all the way back to a little kid if he's doing this.

Kageyama stops and tugs at Hinata’s hand so he'll do that same. Hinata looks at him, rightfully puzzled by Kageyama's sudden halt.

“Why are you holding my hand?” Kageyama asks, well aware he is still holding Hinata's hand and has not made any moves to let go.

“Is that prohibited by the council?” Hinata tilts his head, his eyes look so bright Kageyama wants push the strands of hair that are falling in them away. Hinata also needs a haircut.

“Not necessarily. Just a new development the council was not expecting.” Kageyama stays firm in his pursuit of knowledge, staring at Hinata's eyes.

“Does Supreme Council Leader Tobio like me?” Hinata tilts his head to the side, Kageyama freezes in his spot. He couldn't possibly mean in that way, he couldn't possibly. It's _Hinata._

“Please state to the council what your question entails.” Kageyama feels his threat constrict, he's almost entirely sure that his voice comes out octaves higher than normal.

“Does Supreme Council Leader Tobio want to develop a new bond with me?” Hinata interlaces their fingers together, looking at his shoes.

“What would that bond entail?” Kageyama squeezes Hinata's hand, needing something to ground him. He may float away otherwise.

“We would be under a bond bounding us to each other. Humans like to call it “dating”.” Hinata spares a glance at Kageyama, face going almost four shades redder before ducking his face back down.

“You want to date me?” Kageyama can't keep the giddiness out of his voice, Hinata is able to look at him again.

“This bond we would form...” Hinata looks away quickly, blushing wildly, “would be much stronger than that of merely dating.”

“The council has approved your request.” Kageyama says with determination, eager to win whatever game they've just set up.

“Does that mean it worked!?” Hinata looks up at him, he's considerably closer and the reflection of the stars dance in his eyes.

“What worked?” Kageyama tilts his head, Hinata is jumping up and down.

“My magical circle! I put a powerful love spell over you and it's finally taken effect!” Hinata beams, entirely too pleased with himself. Kageyama pulls him in, gripping at his jacket while Hinata laughs into the night sky.

~~~

“Now that we're under the new title of ‘exclusive relationship’, does that mean I can have a seat on the Supreme Council?”

“No, you can be the errand boy though.”

“Meanie, YamaYama!”

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! <3


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